5 /5 Pablo Espin: I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for the incredible care my mom received at Stony Brook Hospital. She arrived at the emergency room with a severe headache and dizziness, not knowing the life-threatening condition she was facing. Since she doesn’t speak English, the hospital staff immediately provided a translator, ensuring she felt understood and supported.
The emergency team acted swiftly, running tests to check for any issues, including aneurysms. To our complete shock, we learned that my mom had four aneurysms—something we never expected, as there was no history in our family. She was admitted right away, and as her main point of contact, I received a call that changed everything. Without hesitation, I flew from Charlotte to Stony Brook to be by her side.
Upon my arrival, we were met by PA Diana, who walked us through every step with care and compassion. She explained my mom’s condition, the necessary preventative measures, and introduced us to Dr. David Fiorella—a name that, after extensive research, we quickly realized is synonymous with expertise and life-saving work. Knowing he would be handling my mom’s procedure gave us immense comfort.
The next day, Dr. Fiorella performed surgery to address two of the aneurysms, a procedure that lasted about an hour and a half. Thanks to his incredible skill and the dedicated team at Stony Brook, my mom has been recovering well. She will need another procedure in the next 2 to 3 months to address the remaining aneurysm, but we are beyond relieved and hopeful.
The entire staff has gone above and beyond in every way—providing not just top-tier medical care but also compassion, guidance, and reassurance during one of the scariest moments of our lives. I may not live here anymore, but having grown up in the area, I know that every hospital experience is different. For us, Stony Brook exceeded every expectation.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving my mom’s life. We will forever be grateful.
